Shadowrun (Xbox 360, PC) and MechWarrior fans rejoice: Jordan Weisman, the founder of the erstwhile FASA Corporation, has started a new studio called Smith & Tinker. The good news? The studio managed to get the license for Shadowrun, MechWarrior, Crimson Skies, and other former FASA IPs. More details in the full article!

FASA Studio has announced that come September 12, they will no longer be in business - this was announced in a post on the Official Shadowrun Forums. The Community Manager and Technical Support Manager are still being kept active though as they will continue to provide tech support as long as players continue to play Shadowrun (Xbox 360, PC).

The company, originally known as FASA Corporation, was started by Jordan Weisman and L. Ross Babcock. They are credited for classics such as Crimson Skies, Star Trek RPG (Table-top version), Shadowrun, and Battletech (Mechwarrior). The company eventually merged with Virtual World Entertainment (VWE) to become the Virtual World Entertainment Group. In 1999, Microsoft purchased the said company and decided to sell the VWE portion of their acquisition, leaving behind FASA Interactive as a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios.

It deeply saddens this blogger to have to report this news as this is one of the companies that got me into gaming. Let us all take a moment of silence in respect to a company whose products have provided many a happy memory for gamers around the world.

 

Shadowrun (Xbox 360), FASA/Microsoft Game Studios: US$ 60.00
Shadowrun (PC), FASA/Microsoft Game Studios: US$ 50.00
Shadowrun (Xbox 360 - PC) Difference: US$ 10.00

Okay, what explains the ten dollar difference between the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the same multiplayer-only game? Newsweek's N'Gai Croal asks the same questions in an email to Shane Kim, Microsoft Game Studios VP, and Shane Kim emailed back the response:

The $59.99 for Xbox 360 and $49.99 for Windows Vista price points are our standard pricing for each platform.

Should people be worked up over this? Maybe, maybe not - but the price difference, even at ten dollars, will still raise some eyebrows when one considers that FASA and MGS is trying to deliver essentially the same game (okay, to be fair, a similar gaming experience) on the Xbox 360 and PC. And it has to, because it's a cross-platformer, and if there were any significant differences between the gameplay or offerings of the two versions, players on one platform or the other might feel short-changed.

Kim's answer also indicates that Microsoft will be following this pricing schematic for their first-party titles "like Shadowrun" - which means that the only difference between future 360/PC cross-platformers won't be the controller-vs.-mouse/keyboard (not if a controller could also be used on the PC and MS adds keyboard and mouse support to the console), or the PC's open architecture, but...

Ten dollars.

We just found trouble brewing at the Official Shadowrun Forums. FASA Studio is the dev of Shadowrun and a division of Microsoft. A poster named BoomStick started a thread entitled "Studio Closing" and it reads:

Fasa Studios is closing and good riddance. After years of substandard management (Mitch) and bad hiring decisions (Evan). Many of its employees (my friends) left to greener pastures because of the reasons stated earlier. It seems that someone finally took notice and decided to cut the tumor that is Fasa studios from the body of Microsoft. The Shadowrun game offers nothing new in the aspect of first person shooters and that it looks visually uninspiring and mediocre. Save your money for Halo3

Reading through the thread, BoomStick says that he's a former employee and he let out some pretty hard stuff on FASA Studio, particularly the management. His comments about Shadowrun are also harsh and may be overdoing it a bit. Kimona, lead program manager of FASA Studio stepped in and said:

Shadowrun will be shipping soon. It's been a long three years for many on the team. I'm certain that some folks will be leaving us to do other things after we ship. That's normal, and it's healthy, too. As for our contingent staff here, they're just that - contingent. They have a maximum amount of time they can work here before taking a mandatory break. Many of them are complete star performers, but when the job's done, they move on, and the job's almost done.

She also stated that the personal attacks on the named team members were "inappropriate". She didn't discredit BoomStick, though she neither denied nor confirmed any of the statements, particularly the one about the FASA Studio closing down completely. It's interesting, though we can't be too sure whether this is griefing by a disgruntled employee or an early April Fools. So as for now, we'll keep this under rumor. Anyway, we'll keep you posted on further updates on this one. Stay tuned.

Shadowrun is better known for the pen and paper RPG with mixes advanced technology and magic. We will be seeing a port of the RPG on the Xbox360 and Windows Vista some spring of this year. Here's another sneak peek at the new first person shooter from FASA Studios.

To the uninitiated, the Shadowrun universe is populated with humans, elves, trolls, and dwarves (or atleast they're the playable races in game). Naturally, each race has different strengths and weaknesses. As any fan of the pen and paper Shadowrun would tell you, the game is only loosely based on the RPG since there are a lot of differences particularly on the racial traits, magic, and the lack of actual shadowrunners.

Anyway, lets hope that Shadowrun lives up to its name. While we wait for a concrete release date, here's another round of screens from the cyberpunk FPS.

Check out the rest of the screens after the jump!

For fans of the cyberpunk table-top RPG Shadowrun, things are about to get a next-gen turn as FASA Studios is gearing up for the Xbox 360 and PC adaptation of the beloved RPG. Though nothing quite compares to playing the pen-and-paper version of the game, FASA has just released this new batch of screenshots to show fans that the video game version of the title is also worth checking out.

As previously discussed by FASA's studio manager, Mitch Gitelman, Shadowrun will be a team-based FPS which blends elves, dwarves, trolls, magic, and ultra-modern weapon technology (fine, fine, it's Magitech...).

So, as we wait for FASA to finally peg down a date that's a bit more specific than "Spring 2007," hold on to that d6 dice set and enjoy these screenshots as we start thinking of the nice things to come.

More screenshots after the Jump!

Okay, first things first. Depending on who you're talking to, Microsoft's TrueSkill ranking system is either pure genius or pure bull, but the fact remains that a lot of people were put off by the omission of the option to play ranked team matches in Epic Games' Gears of War. According to Gears of War lead designer Cliffy B., the omission was a "cert requirement." Alright, okay.

But then here comes FASA's Shadowrun (which will be published by Microsoft Game Studios). The word is out that the game will include ranked matches with parties. Apparently, FASA is opting out of using TrueSkill and is going to create their own matchmaking system to let players play ranked team matches. If this is true, then TrueSkill isn't mandatory for Xbox 360 games with online multiplayer features (which is good news for those looking forward to playing ranked team matches with their friends in Halo 3).

Apart from that piece of news, we have no details yet on how Shadowrun will handle ranked team matches. Epic Games is currently thinking about adding something similar to Gears of War in order to appease the public outcry, so we may see a little preview of Shadowrun's system when that becomes a reality.

The words "games in beta are as good as released titles" are ringing in our heads but their author eludes our consciousness. At any rate, we will all soon find out when the first cross-platform title Shadowrun finally opens for beta testing.

"Interested parties can apply to participate in the beta program, being one of the first gamers to get hands-on with the revolutionary and innovative first-person shooter Shadowrun," jointly announced Microsoft Games Studio and Fasa Studio. Unfortunately though for Vista users, the program is exclusive for now to X360 users.

If you are all for Shadowrun or beta testing for that matter, here is what you should do:

• Visit our Web site at http://connect.microsoft.com.
• Click on "Invitations" on the left-side menu.
• You will need to sign in using a valid Windows Live ID before you can continue to the "Invitations" page. (If you have already registered for the Connect site, skip to Step 5.)
• Please read and accept the Terms of Use Agreement then follow the instructions to register for the Connect site.
• Enter your Invitation ID in the blank field. Your invitation ID is: SHBS-6YMT-YKHC
• Click "Go."
• Complete and submit the short questionnaire. Please enter 207 for the beta code when asked at the beginning of the questionnaire.
• If you are not redirected immediately to the “Shadowrun” Beta Selection homepage after completing the questionnaire, click the My Participations link on the left hand navigation bar then click the “Shadowrun” program link. This will redirect you to the “Shadowrun” Beta Selection Homepage.
• Once you are on the “Shadowrun” Beta Selection Homepage, you will need to complete the rest of the registration process by signing up for the forums by clicking the Join the Forums button then click the Welcome to the Official “Shadowrun” Community Forum Sign In button.
• Wait patiently for us to contact you with further instructions. Check back at http://connect.microsoft.com for further beta announcements.

Shadowrun combines both elements of FPS and RPG titles, not to mention various magic and techs in the heat of battle for an intense combat experience. It is expected to be released at the early part of 2007.

Much has been said about Microsoft's apparent lackluster performance in the recently concluded TGS. Japan might prove to be a hostile environment for the Xbox 360, alright. But this first ever next-gen console considers Europe its turf and X06, its very realm.

Take for example the case of FPS meets RPG title, Shadowrun. Not many things were heard or seen from this game during the Tokyo event. It is even safe to say that developer FASA's camp was rather quiet. But today's X06 is a starkly different story. Proof of this are these new screens. We can't help but notice the unbelievable graphical change the game has gone through since E3.

As it is, we are expecting more things from X06. Besides, it has never failed through the years to come up with high profile announcements and exclusives. Shadowrun is the first cross-platform playable game for the X360. It is expected for release the early part of 2007.

    

Welcome back to the world of cyberpunk and magic as Microsoft's FASA studios brings Shadowrun to the Vista PC and Xbox 360. Shadowrun is a pen-and-paper RPG set in a Blade Runner-plus-fantasy future, and also appeared as SNES, Genesis, and Sega Mega CD RPG titles. Unlike the pen-and-paper and pre-gens, however, this next-gen Shadowrun is a multiplayer-only FPS brawl. Another novelty is that this will be a cross-platform multiplayer: PC and 360 users fighting each other in the same game world, on the same battlefield.

Check out the new screenshots below of this title in guns-blazing, magic-flinging action.